Now that I’ve played GW2 for over 600 hours, something is bothering me. Specifically, the method by which the game selects which music to play (from the original soundtrack, not from any custom playlists or anything) isn’t particularly good. It only selects from a handful of tracks per area/situation, those triggers seem to function inconsistently, and it isn’t very specific with how it selects which tracks to play.
To illustrate my point, a few examples:
Example A: I am wandering around Queensdale when suddenly some bandits attack. The amount of bandits is so large that the game decides to play a battle track. It selects ‘Track Y’.
Example B: I am carving my way through Orr when I am suddenly confronted by a Risen giant. Because the giant is so powerful, the game decides to play a battle track. It also selects ‘Track Y’.
This is not very good, because it illustrates that the game does not distinguish between level/area at all when selecting battle music. Instead, it always plays the same small selection of battle music over again, even when there is a plethora of epic battle music used in the game, but only during specific events/dungeons/story steps.
Another issue is exemplified by the game’s environmental exploration music. This is also some great music (like most everything Jeremy Soule works on), but unfortunately, some of the areas seem to play wildly incorrect tracks. The biggest example that I can provide for this is Orr. While running through different Orr areas, I frequently find the game playing the same idyllic music that you hear in Queensdale despite the fact that I’m cleaving my way through an undead-infested warzone.
Also, I would like to add that the game is way too sensitive with when it plays underwater music. Basically, the second that you go underwater it often plays underwater music, even when you surface. This means that just by falling off a cliff and into water, when you get back on land the game will still be playing music as though you were on some underwater diving expedition.
TL;DR: So, to summarise, the issues that I have are thus:
A) Lots of music only plays during the personal story and dungeons, and is never used (read: wasted) in the open world.
B) Battle music does not distinguish between situations enough, meaning that fighting a massive undead giant at level 80 plays the same music as fighting bandits or wolves at level 3
C) Some areas – especially Orr – seem to play very inappropriate exploration music – often the same music as Queensdale, which seems highly odd
D) Underwater music plays almost immediately after entering the water and does not end once you surface, meaning that, often, you are seeing the wilds of Tyria, yet hearing music as though you’re on some underwater aquatic adventure.
If any fellow players (or any ArenaNet devs, as the case may or may not be) want to chime in on this, I’d appreciate it.